New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-07

MIR. IRVING AND MISS TERRY N TIE MER-
CHANT OF VENICE.

MIR. IRVING AND MISS TERRY IN m MEX
CHANT or VENICE
"rau. was laid aside AZ the star Theatre after 'hc
performance on Monday night. Il had been acted
t,rcnfv six times and II had been with Interest
md rof, hv thor.qnls ~ delighted people II wond
q,vc been Lcpt on The stage tn The cnl Of Nh Irvng's
,r,,recrt here bit fhrt f. sc"ncry must bc sent 10
pIadslrla in advance Of rs production there next
,yo,t with HIS supcrb dramatic Tagcant-thc most
elaborate and the most l"antifl production Of orr day
,oe, the exquisite beauty. the melting pathos the
lcu,ler humanity. ard th, moral grandeur OF Ellen
Tcr-y's Margaret an mage Of Owing WomahI'"1
hat ha, no parallel on the stage. Nith 1t, hhe"i'e'
goes the saidonc humor the deadly malice the nor
r,bl, energy, the lurd splondor. ard the bleak and
lor.lr misery Of NJ. lVings Nephlstophe!es'-a
urea, niece Of acting and that reveals deep and
IN lecrcr meaning the oftcucr II Sc seen memory
WiI always cherish AID Judgment Will always honor
ihc,c noble achievements 20 dramatic art
Last night THE Merchant II Venice was present
- with Mss Terry as Porta~ and Mr. Irving as
.sh,,,chr ronr wear, ago whom tbs comedy was
o~ oT,re1 hero with Mr. Irv.us- establishment and
,,,crnrc,aflon n ret with immediate and proiigoas
fv, In IN that tlrne the public nal seen II In ony
, r,r,ra,cd form NJ Irving restored the hhh act'
N, Inlcr scene and n" caskr, scenes In fu ana me
.n,r, piece was accd WITH strict ad"llfy to shakes
rcare W'ih Ellen Terry FOR Por'ia' ms a'hleNe'
nan, hccams feasible. Nth ordinary actress IN
cha lc'"r II r. rfniaiiF laf Ii' '''ii''' 'N
Observation-Disclosures rs sold and fine contrasts OF
h,r,c,er ia fertility of pirusnt invention, and us
wealth Of lovely poetry. Radiant with her IN" SPIRIT
and BEAUTIFUL presence animated ana '"h'ToHcu III
,vcrv fibre hv his Sutti" and aiihoH'anVe lh'o'
lect iudciousy cast and correctly ir"S'eo anu ""'
ed Nr irving, revival II Tho Merchant OF Ncn'e'
os, capturcd the public fancy and IN every quarter
, YEA, sincerely felt and freely proclaimed that hero
., last was tho perfection - ,tagc isrlay-a good
,.,cc, we'll acted That success has rcvrr faded The
hing TIA, Mr. Irving dd fAen. and many times has
lone since, - now repeats numerous ana or''.
liant audcucc the representation last h'Sh' ana
once again enloycd round even, slnlmetr'' anu
thorough dramatic performance In which every ne'a'i
is ,cr, subordinate 20 Intelligent general cfr'' and
,o crort Il made toward OvcrWcenne Individual as
play. , ,o,
shakes pcarc's conception Of" shylock mas "nS o'"
10, ,,,,rnv.r.v Uurlagc who acted tho part IN
,hakespcarcs own presence, wore a red WIZ Sn' "a"
exceedingly .rghtfll form ana t-pect th' "'
v,r ives Mint II low comedy and It may be that INC
great actor made OF low comedy eApcoien'' W
cloak nj, invc,erac mallgIy and sinister purpose
Dogget who played the part in LansdoWn"s e"cr"
lion Of shaicspearc'S piece, turned HhS'"'H INV
fare. NachIin, when hc restored the or's'h" pay
~ the stage at Drury Lane, February H. lfi' "''0
n rcd hat peaked beard. and a loose olaoA e"""'
ulayiug shylock" a. serious, almost UaS' pow
and LAYING his greatest emphasis upon display Oh to
w,s >. Indeed that persons who him on the stage
IN ,bl. character not infcquently drew the inference
and kept the belief that he was per-ohaS a'no"So''
HIS look was irpn-visaged the east OF MS manners 1
relentless and savage Qnln sad th' ms TACO ''"
,rd no, lines but cor,age. In poctraying the con
frastcd passions Of JOY for the Merchants 'oS'''
and grief for Ie,s.cas" elopement h" poured torth
al bis ar, When he whetcd his knife, In the TRIAL
,,,c he was quiet. grsy, ominous. and fatal y"
h,r,on touch no hint Of majesty or ~ religious
,ticsm tempered the mplacahlc "chrdheS' OF 'hA'
hateful ideal. Pope, who saw that ahy'o'A na'o"
II a. tho jew that Shakespeare Dire" anu rope
u,or, other things was OF the editors of shakes
pearc Cooke who had seen Machlns "shyl"oA -
and ,Io those Of Henderson, King, kcubl" and Yates
adontcd maintained anil transmitted the lesehu ot
Mackn Edmund Kean, who woNhipped Cooke was
,orcstionahly his imtator In "Shylock" but 1t seems
to have been Edmund kcan who. Tor inc HIS' UNIV
cayc prominence to tho r'hrac majesty and fanatic"
sclt conservation OF this hateful bu colossal chara'r
Icrrold sail that kcuu's >hyluch was hN' 'h'p'''
Of Genesis Maclrady-whoSc utirran'' Oh Nc"'oS'
~, heart. was the blood curdng Keynote OF his
whole informal ideal declared the part to be com
po,,d Of haI~hncss" and saw no humanity In inc III
mar, tr m, loss of Leihs" ring, but only lacrratod
senso of thc value ~ that gem In dncats hro"he'
great "Shylockr concurrcd with keans IDEAL Az"
made the jew orrnay royal, the aVenS'r Oh MS race
h,,ng an oath I'm Heaven" and standing on the la"
80 an evs for an eve" Forrest, th' ciucr All" ""
r. T. davenport, Edwin Eooth, Bogumli Dawson
l,vr,nce barrett Charles kcan, Barry sullivan anu
,tbcr actors have steadily kept shyloch' "po" '"o
sing, some walhng In the religious track anu S
,,yIrc # Hut the weight OF opinion ana surety 'h'
,,,I, and dru of tho text, would JUSTIFY present.
n ~ thc law as the incarnation not alone OF a'arioo
aud h,tc but Of the stern and terrible Mosaic law Oh
iusticc This IS tho high view OF the part anu I'D
,ulvinc Shakespeare It Is always safe to pieih tho
high view -
Ilrnry Irving though trne and fine l. not incoihpara
lie I'm Shvlochs There must be Imagination or pathos
mr. veirlncss or some form Of humor, or PERSONAL
charm n the character that awahcs his soul anu CARS
forth his best and finest powers Spr's "o "o'
r,, ,,,u,hcd hut TO fine issues" There Is no snch
u,ltv 4, .sbylock' But Henry Irving taxes thc
| hich yIew of him This jew " feeds TAT the ancient
gruIo,. AGAINST Antonio'-untll tho law of Port'a'
n,ore subtle than cquiia able, steps In 10 thwAt MN
hut also he avengos the wrongs that his "saoroa Ia
uon. has suffered Ill, ideal IS right, his grasp Oh u
10 firm his execution Of 1t is flexible with skill anu
an,uent with Intellectual power. IL memory carries
away "A shudderng thought of his baenil gaze upon
the doomed Antonio and Of his horrid cry vi 'no
| summons Como picparcl" It also retains the image
of n faher convnlsed with grief momentariiy' IL YOU
Ike but sincerely and of u man who ut least can TO
member that he loved II Is h'os' a">'o'o
| shylockr Inveterate Of purpose, vndictivc mais-